


Baby this is what the night is

by copenhagenborn



Series: A long way from the playground [4]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Famous!Louis, Harry and Niall are 18 years old, Kid!Fic, M/M, Smut, daddy!Liam, daddy!louis, elounor!parents, graduation week, mummy!Eleanor, sort of, the awkward sex talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 07:01:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4381925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copenhagenborn/pseuds/copenhagenborn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"’s when you kiss someone of the same sex you have to turn the badge upside down,” Niall explains with a shrug, “the rules are a bit outdated and probably made back when kissing someone of the same sex was a bit of a joke; but we’re gunna do this with the real rules." </p>
<p>in which Harry and Niall graduate high school and live through two weeks of graduation week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby this is what the night is

**Author's Note:**

> this is based on the Danish graduation week traditions, and should have been posted three weeks ago when I graduated the danish equivalent of high school. 
> 
> The 'rules' or traditions as are mentioned in this are explained in the end notes if this gets too confusing.   
> And in Denmark we use a grading scale going from -3 to 12, so 12 should be equivalent to A or A+ I think.

“Did we miss it? Where is he? Did he seem nervous, angst? Do you think he’s not gunna _pass the class_?” Harry blurts worried when he and Liam arrive at his former homeroom room. The bouquet of red roses in his hand is squeezed tightly against his chest until Eleanor pulls him into her side and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

“Harry, babe. Relax would you? You know Niall, he’s gunna ace it, didn’t even seem tense when he came out, just came out and asked when you guys would be here.” Louis tells him with a smile, “It’s maths love, have you ever seen my son study for that? He can recite the formula for a plane integral in his sleep – not that I would know what that was if it wasn’t for him.”

“Did he seem mad we weren’t here when he came out?” Harry asks Eleanor softly when Liam turns to greet Louis with a hug. He and his father had been out and about in every flower shop in the entirety of London, but no one had any blue roses left.

_“Why do they have to be blue babe? I got red when I graduated, that’s what I got you. Why is Niall’s any different?” Liam asks when Harry pulls him out of bed at half past seven in the morning – dressed in his finest dress shirt, pressed trousers and his own graduation cap placed neatly on his curls._

_“Because he got them for me, dad!” Harry whines and pulls him into the last store that could carry the flowers, “Our caps are blue and it’s kinda tradition that your flowers match your cap. It’s fine that you didn’t know, I know all caps were red back then, but he went through the troubles of finding them for me – so why can’t I do the same thing for him daddy?”_

But they hadn’t found the flowers, and after Harry had a minor breakdown in the middle of the streets of London he had agreed to buy Niall a big bouquet of red roses with the promise of Liam finding them later that day for Harry to give to Niall.

“No of course not, he did frown a bit though.” Eleanor replies in a soft voice as to not interrupt the conversation going on between the fathers, “As long as you are here when he gets out I think it’s gunna be fine.”

Harry nods slowly and leans down to rest his head against Eleanor’s.

Liam and Louis’ conversation dims down when the door to the classroom opens. Out steps Niall with a big grin on his lips with Mister Mahler following him out with a polite smile.

“Congratulations with him Mister and Missus Tomlinson,” Mahler says and pats Niall on the back, “I assume you don’t want me to put the cap on your head, is that right boy?”

Niall just laughs and leans into his side for a quick hug, “Nah sir, I think I got that covered.” He moves out of the way and lets Calum through the door with a quick good luck pat on the back. “Hello babe,” he winks to Harry but continues on his way to Louis.

“I’d say a congratulation is in order, but Mahler already took care of that, didn’t he?” Louis smiles brightly and bends down to pull the neatly decorated cap out of the white box at his feet. “Are you sure you want me to be the one to do it and not your mum? I’m not saying I’m not glad I’m the one who gets to do this, but I’m not gunna cry like someone else might,”

“LOUIS! Shut your mouth, I’m not gunna cry.” Eleanor screeches pathetically and tries to wipe the tear away from her eye. “It’s allergy season, what did you expect?” she pulls Harry closer to her side and he gladly tightens the arm around her waist. “Just do it please, I want a hug too.”

“She’s a dirty liar, your mother.” Louis stage whispers to his son, but places the cap on his hat anyway. Liam’s phone camera lights up the badly lit hallway, a soft sob coming from Eleanor is surely captured and even Harry sneaks a quick picture of the pair with the stunning blue eyes. “Congratulations Niall.”

“Thank you dad,” Niall beams back at his father. He gently pulls out of his arms and turns towards his mother, who quickly moves from Harry’s side and into the blonde’s waiting arms.

“My little _baby_! You’re getting so big, and here you are with all those perfect grades and saying you don’t even want to use them for something,” Eleanor weeps happily. Her brown waves are the only thing visible from where she is hidden in Niall’s shoulder. “I’m just so proud of you, you know that right? Like no matter what you choose to do – we’re always gunna be here whenever you need it. I love you so much, baby.”

“ _Mum_ , you’re gunna soak through my shirt,” Niall whines softly, but Harry can hear the rawness of his voice – how he is just on the brink of letting a tear slip out himself. “You know I love you too, but _mum.._.”

Harry can’t help but feel a bit jealous – and he hates himself for it.

He knows his dad loves him, he proved that the day before how proud he was when he was allowed to put the cap on his head, how he has helped him through his entire life without a single complaint, how he has taken care of a son on his own without anyone to lean on. And Harry loves him for that.

But he will never have what Niall and Eleanor have. He will never feel that unadulterated motherly love, the way Eleanor cuddles and babies Niall and how he pretends to hate it – but Harry knows he loves every second of it – and how she just sometimes watches her son with a certain kind of fondness always bordering on full on pride. He hates how Liam sometimes isn’t enough and how he often has gone to Niall’s house just to feel Eleanor’s motherly presence before excusing himself out of guilt to go back home.

 

“What are you thinking about mate? Solving the world’s problems before you have to drink your brain out on Friday?” Niall teases when he finally appears in front of him.

“Niall Tomlinson! Do speak nicely to Harry, he doesn’t _have_ to drink his brain out if he does not want to. I’m not even sure you are allowed to drink on that ride of yours,” Eleanor scolds tamely.

Niall just sends her a quick smile before turning his attention towards his boyfriend once again. “Hi babe,”

“Hey,” Harry replies in a slow voice and leans his head on the blonde’s shoulder. “Congrats on the cap and the 12 I assume,”

“Yeah, mum just wrote it in the hat. And thank you, babe.” Niall laughs softly into his hair. He puts an arm around the younger boy’s waist and pulls his head out of his shoulder. “Thank you for the flowers too, they are lovely. Liam said you were on quite the hunt to get them.” He smiles wolfishly and sends a wink to Liam who just shakes his head at the pair before letting them leave the hall.

Harry blushes, “I just wanted to return the gesture. But unfortunately my dad doesn’t have a private florist on speed dial.” He pokes back and lets Niall push him up against the wall of the chemistry lab.

“Yeah, it pays off to be a Tomlinson once in a while,” Niall shrugs. 

It doesn’t come as a shock for Harry when he leans in to place his lips on his. It’s been six years since their first kiss and they’ve come a long way since the playground and shy touches.

He feels Niall’s hands on his face angling it to the side to find the right position, his own going to the loose strands of hair poking out of the hat. He feels Niall’s hands wander down to the back of his neck, sending shivers of pleasure down his spine, Niall’s hand grabbing at the nicely pressed shirt surely making a mess of it, but Harry doesn’t care.

He tugs at the blonde hair and licks his bottom lip until Niall’s tongue slides against his in a kiss that feels a bit too wet to be perfect, but it makes Harry’s head spin and that’s really all he cares about. His hands pull him closer, so close that if he wasn’t resting against the wall they would both lose balance and fall down soon.

He hums against the kiss at the feel of Niall’s hand sliding along the flat plane of his stomach, and it clenches painfully delightfully when he get too close to the front of his trousers.

“No-oh,” Harry stutters, “We’re at _school_ , I’m not gunna be expelled because you can’t wait until we get home,” Harry whines pathetically and pulls away from the blonde, only for Niall to move to his neck instead. “ _Babe_ ,” he breathes softly when Niall reaches the patch of skin where his neck and shoulder meets and bites down.

“Tell me to stop love,” Niall laughs darkly and gives the already wet skin a soft tug with his teeth, “I would never do something that you are one hundred percent into.” Harry whimpers softly at that making Niall laugh, “but that’s not the problem is it babe?”

“ _Niall_ , we have dinner with our parents in a bit? Will you please stop so it doesn’t get awkward?” Harry reasons softly and puts his hand on the blonde’s shoulders to push him gently away from his neck.

Niall pulls away with a roll of his eyes, “Everything for you babe,” he reaches up to the front of Harry’s hat and turns the cross upside down before doing the same to his own.

“Why did you do that?” Harry frowns and moves to correct the cross but is stopped by Niall’s pale hands pulling his own down to his side.

“’s when you kiss someone of the same sex you have to turn the badge upside down,” Niall explains with a shrug, “the rules are a bit outdated and probably made back when kissing someone of the same sex was a bit of a joke; but we’re gunna do this with the real rules. And besides, it’s not like it’s gunna stay on for long though, is it?” Niall grins like he just let Harry in on some insider joke but when he doesn’t reply with anything but a blank stare; Niall just pulls him through the door to meet their parents.

+++

Harry doesn’t really understand those rules about what is gunna happen to his student cap, but Niall certainly does. 

“ _You have to bring a case of beer for Friday, remember that.” Niall says when they’re lying in his bed the day after Niall’s final exam._

_“Yeah, you have to bring what you want to drink on the ride, I know that babe.” Harry laughs and looks at Niall with a smile. “I’m not that stupid,”_

_Niall sits up to lean on his elbow and gives him a look, “Maybe you are on this subject though,” he mutters with a curious look. “Did you look at the rules in the sweatband of your cap? Or paid attention when we tried out sizes? The ones with the biggest and smallest head and the ones with the highest and lowest grade point average have to give a case of beer to the class. And with them curls of yours you definitely have the biggest measurements babe.”_

_“Like… like I just buy them for you guys and then I have to buy another one for myself? Or are we gunna share? How much are we gunna drink? Five, ten beers maybe?” he asks innocently. He doesn’t know this, Liam has never been the biggest drinker nor the one with the greatest knowledge of high school life, so where should he have learnt it?_

_Harry knows of course that Niall has been going out to pubs a few times with some of his friends, and that one time with Luke and Ashton when he turned seventeen and Eleanor was out of town. He was even there when Harry got sloshed the first time and vommed all over his feet, but Harry isn’t much of a drinker and Niall knows this. Which is why he doesn’t try to guilt Harry into joining him and Ed for a few drinks down at the local Irish pub, or how he always refrain from drinking when they are at a house party if Harry gets too drunk from the punch and has to be carried home._

_“I mean yeah, you can just drink five or ten if you want to.” Niall smiles and lays down with his head on Harry’s chest, “But a few of the lads and I are gunna try to drink a whole case each – that’s one of the rule thingies, if you drink a case of beer within 24 hours you get a square in the sweatband – you’re not gunna do that of course.”_

_“Wha-at?” Harry frowns offended and goes to push Niall off his chest, when the blonde clings tighter around him. “Get off Niall, I don’t associate myself with people who treats me like dirt,”_

_“Babe, I just meant that you aren’t very used to drinking and I think Liam would appreciate it if you don’t end your night at the hospital to have your stomach pumped.” Niall laughs amused. He gets on top of the brunette and circles his hand around his wrists before forcing them gently down against the matrass. “I’m doing this because I love you babe,” he says in a whisper and leans down to place a kiss on Harry’s lips. “Very much so,”_

“Hey give me your cap,” Niall whispers in the middle of the principal’s speech during their graduation. Harry turns to him with a strange look but takes it off anyway. “Why is it all white inside? Didn’t you ask anyone to write in it?”

“No, why should I?” Harry questions confused. He watches as the blonde takes the shade of the cap and puts it between his teeth to bite down. “What are you doing?” he hisses angrily and pulls it out of the boy’s mouth to look at the bite marks imprinting in the shade.

“It’s a thing babe,” Niall laughs and moves to take the cap again, “Best friends bites the cap, friends write in the lining of it and your final grade is written in the middle of the lining. What did you get? I’ll write it for you,”

“10 – not too big yeah? And try to make it look nice.” He asks politely and watches as Niall writes the number in neat handwriting before writing his own name beside it. He scribbles a short message just below his name and goes to send it down the line.

“Here, write something for Harry yeah? Nothing too big because there’s gunna be a lot yeah.” Niall instructs them and hands his pen over to Ed who sits next to him. “Give mine a bite will you?” he smiles and takes off the cap and places it in Harry’s hands.

“Do I just bite or what?” he looks down at the shade which – oppose to his own – is filled with bite marks of every size and shape. “it’s a bit used isn’t it?” but he bite downs anyway – right in the middle of all the others – he makes sure it’s a hard bite so it doesn’t fade out too quick. “You do know you’ve used 120 pounds on a bloody hat just to bite it and write things in it, right?”

“It’s secondary love, it’s meant to be a bit silly.” Niall smiles softly and turns the cap over and points to the naked spot next to the 12 written in the middle – right where Niall wrote his own name in Harry’s. “Name and a small message if you want, yeah?”

Harry nods. He accepts the silver pen he gets handed from someone a row behind and writes his name in a swirly font.

“ _we are totally gunna drink those 24 beers later yeah? all the love H xx.”_  He writes in a slightly smaller font before giving it back to the blonde.

“You’re such a wanker, babe. You’re not even funny.” Niall laughs and leans his head on his shoulder. “Do you get less humorous by the years? Because I’m sure you weren’t this not funny when we met.”

+++

“Let’s go everybody, the teachers are on, we’ve had our picture taken – say goodbye to your parents and get on.” Ed yells when the last class pulls out of the yard.

“Thank you for coming dad, I’ll text you when we drive from Willie’s house.” Harry says and wraps his arms around Liam for a quick hug.

“Of course love, I’ll always be here for you.” Liam laughs with a smile, his eyes crinkling as he pulls his son closer into his arms. “Please text me if you can’t get home and I’ll be sure to pick you up, yeah? Especially if both of you are drunk. I’m not wiping up your vomit but I will gladly help you get home so you can be sick safely.”

“Yeah, thank you dad. I’m not getting sick ta! But I’ll let Niall know you can pick us up.” Harry replies with a curt smile. He hugs Eleanor and Louis, and grandma Tomlinson gets a soft kiss on the cheek before he joins Niall. “Hi babe,”

“Are you ready to go Harry?” Niall smiles and puts his arm around him to place a sloppy kiss on his lips.

“Whoa there big lad,” Harry laughs and pulls away at the taste of beer on Niall’s tongue. “Started early didn’t you? Why don’t we go on the lorry and get you settled first?”

“Can’t babe, the ones who got a 12 on their last exam have to run away the lorry until the first stop, though we convinced to just drive slowly until the next traffic light and then we’ll join you.” Niall says with a apologetic smile and hands over the half full can in his hands. “Another one of those rules you love.” 

“Will I ever learn them?” Harry whines. He rests his head against Niall’s shoulder and lets the blonde pet his back. “There are so bloody many, and why are all of them out to destroy my expensive student cap?”

“Babe, we have two weeks, I’m sure at the end you’ll have learnt them all.”

“Come on Harry, let the over achievers take their punishment!” Ed yells from the top of the lorry. The redhead already has a bottle of Carlsberg in his hand and an arm around Taylor who’s giggling and swaying to the music playing.

Harry places a kiss on Niall’s cheek and whispers a good luck before joining Ed the rest of the class. The driver folds up the stairs and starts the lorry. Harry watches as ten of his class members run after the lorry, Niall happily taking the lead of the group waving to both parents and curious on-lookers.

When they finally join the rest of their class Ed climbs onto the bench, “Okay, Harry, Laura and Taylor you owe a case of beer for you abnormally sized heads, and Niall as you both have the highest average and the most money in the bank probably, you have been sentenced to donate two cases to the class. Has everyone complied with this? Harry did you even know this?”

“ _Hey_ , don’t be like that.” Harry frowns and pulls out the beer from the bag Liam had packed in the morning. “It’s not like I do it on purpose.”

“I’m sure you don’t lad,” Ed chuckles but pulls him under his arm none the less. They watch as Laura pulls out a case of what looks like dark beer, Taylor some strange American beer that Harry’s never seen on the shelves in the store down on the corner, and Niall two cases of Guinness beer – what Harry believes is his favourite.  “Let’s get to work on those houses, yeah?”

+++

They stumble into Niall’s room when the clock turns half past three.

“Niall babe, are you sure you don’t want to sleep?” Harry pants when Niall guides him onto his bed. “You already got your square; we don’t need to do this right now.” But he doesn’t get any further with his protests when Niall bends down and kisses him. He feels his jaw go a bit slack when Niall slips his tongue into his mouth and can’t help but sigh softly, “ _babe_.”

“Sure you want to stop?” Niall laughs throatily into his ear and kisses eagerly down his neck.

“No.” Harry says shakily and thanks god for the far distance between Niall and his parents’ room.

Niall huffs out a little laugh and breaks away to look at Harry. “You’re not too drunk right? I saw them lines on your arm, not a lightweight today are ya?” the warm puffs of Niall’s breath does nothing but arouse him further, the smell of beer no longer annoying him after the hundreds of sloppy kisses he and Niall have shared throughout the night.

“No.” he says firmly, “Of course not. Just drank a few to get into the mood with the rest,” He tugs at Niall’s hip, encouraging the series of small, calculated grinds Niall makes with his hips. He pulls the blonde down with a hand burrowed in his blonde strands of hair – or the ones he can reach with the hat still on – and connects their lips. He slips his tongue straight into Niall’s mouth and lets the blonde take over the control, only letting out a gasp when Niall grinds down firmly against his crotch. “Come on, off with the clothes, _now_ Niall.”

“Fuck,” Niall breathes. He wiggles out of the dress shirt he had been wearing the entire day, spots from food and beer ruining the pristine white colour it had been when Eleanor bought it, and throws it to the ground. “Your turn,” Harry enthusiastically peels off his thin jumper, knocking off his hat in the process.

Niall stands up in the bed - a habit of his Eleanor never seem to be happy with – and gets his trousers off, his pants following quickly. “You have to be wearing the hat, babe, you don’t get the things if you don’t.” he scolds lightly and reaches down to place the cap on Harry’s curls.

“One would think you’re only doing this to be allowed to ruin your hat,” Harry laughs breathlessly and watches with hungry eyes as Niall gets between his thighs to pull off his jeans.

“Not like, there’s another one for doing this with a stranger.” Niall says in a pant, “not doing that one babe, only the ones with you.”

“I appreciate that babe, I really do.” He pulls the blonde down onto his chest and finds his lips in a hard, wet, messy kiss. His tongue fucks into Niall’s mouth in quick movements making his hips stutter against Harry’s ruining the perfect pattern he had become comfortable with.

“Yes, Harry.” Niall moans, “I need, I need _something_ ,” he grinds his hips in eager motions, his hands tangled in the mess of Harry curls and he gives it a sharp tuck to make him move his hands away from Niall’s pale hips.

His free hand goes to the second drawer of Niall’s night stand, goes past the old sports magazine that has been there as long as Harry has and grabs the bottle of lube hidden in the back of the drawer. He feels rather than hears the groan from Niall’s lips when he pushes in the first finger. The pale hands placed on either side of Harry’s head are trembling and Harry is almost afraid that they’re gunna collapse. “More please, Haz I need more.” The blonde cries as he pushes back onto the finger that is soon joined by another.

Harry preps him quickly, his actions rushed by both of their needs, but when Niall whines out his name repeatedly at the third finger, Harry is already fishing out the condom from the drawer.

“Fuck me babe, yes.” Niall pants happily, when he goes to roll onto the side next to Harry but he keeps him in place.

“Like this please, I’m not sure I can do it probably.” Harry begs and guides the blonde to his thighs. Niall nods eagerly and takes the lube to smear a bit over the condom. He positions himself and slides down to take Harry’s cock in causing Harry to arc his back in pleasure as Niall lets out a soft cry of his name.

He tries to move his hip but Harry keeps him seated in his lap, “Relax babe, wait a bit please.” He murmurs softly and rubs the small blonde dust of hair above his pubic bone. “There you go,” he whispers softly and lets Niall’s hip move in small circles.

There’s a flush running all the way down Niall’s torso, his cheeks are stained with red and he’s louder than Harry’s ever heard him before when he begins to thrust up into Niall for real. He doesn’t reach down to touch his own cock, too focused on the way Harry’s hits spots inside him that makes his thighs shake and his arms give out. “Harry,” he whinges softly, his nails scratching down Harry’s tanned chest when Harry flips them over so Niall’s on his back.

Harry builds up a strong rhythm that has Niall wrappings his pale legs around his back, begging for something more. “I’m gunna come in a bit, babe, I need you there with me, yeah? Please baby.” Harry moans hoarsely and pushes back so he rests on his knees with more leverage to fuck Niall.

“Yeah yeah, of course.” Niall complies, his head in a state of delirium if judging by the way his arms and thighs are shaking. His hand reaches down and fists his cock, blindly feeling around with his eyes locked on Harry until he has a tight grip on himself. His hips jerks erratically up into the tight fist of his hand, the movements throwing Harry off his rhythm with a loud sigh. “Here, let me.” He whispers softly and switches Niall’s hand with his own and jerks him off with deliberate twists of his wrist.

“ _Shit_ ,” Niall moans and moves his hips quickly, chasing the feeling of Harry, his hand, his cock – anything of Harry’s. Harry feels the way Niall’s cock pulses in his hand, the hitched breath he lets out and his eyes rolling to the back of his head just before he comes, “Harry, _babe_.”

“Alright?” Harry laughs softly. He removes his hand and wipes the ropes of white off on Niall’s stomach before continuing his thrusting.

Niall hisses at a particularly hard thrust, his hands going to Harry’s bum and pulls him closer. “Yeah, just a bit oversensitive – you’re coming soon right?”

With a growl Harry leans down, supporting his upperbody with his hands next to Niall’s head. His thrusts are hard and sloppy, no real rhythm but the need to come. The heat low in his stomach is coiling and threatening to snap any minute when he finally comes. He moans weakly, too tired to do any thing but let his body run on instinct and collapse onto Niall, who’s more than happy to cover his neck in sloppy kisses.

“There’s my good boy,” Niall coos softly into his ear as he guides the younger boy to pull out of him, “Coming for me and everything,”

“Shut up Niall.” Harry hisses as he ties the condom and throws it into the bin besides the bedside table. “I’m gunna go to sleep now, yeah? If you wanna do anything else, just don’t wake me up.”

+++

When Harry wakes up his cap is lying on the pillow next to him, a glass of water and a couple of painkillers are placed next to him on the nightstand. “What the hell?” he murmurs as he sits up against the headboard. He picks up the student cap lying next to him and pokes his pinkie through the hole where the cross should sit.

“Do you like my handy work?” a voice asks from the door as Niall steps inside only wearing his footie shorts. “Dad snorted when he saw mine, but mum just told me she didn’t expect anything else so what could you do.”

“What does it mean? Like I know we had sex last night but isn’t that just the lightening bolt?” Harry frowns and turns the cap around to look at the cuts in the sweatband. There’s a heart, a triangle and the lightening bolt cut neatly into the sweatband of his hat. “Sometimes I think you’re just making these things up.”

“Nah, there’s no point in cutting it up if you don’t have the memories to look back at when we pull them out years from now,” Niall replies with a soft smile. He reaches out and pulls Harry up from the bed. “Put your pants on and come out for some breakfast. Mum’s going to work in an hour if you wanted a ride home. Liam mentioned you guys were going to Wolver to meet up with some family,”

“Yeah, I would appreciate that.” Harry nods and pulls on his pants that had been thrown about the night before. “You ever gunna tell me why my hat looks so ruined? And should I even wear it around my grandma?” he goes to Niall’s clothes and pulls out one of the shirt he has left there in weeks where he did nothing but sleep at the Tomlinson’s.

“Yeah, it’s all good. You can put your cross back on if you’re embarrassed it’s by the lamp on your side.” Niall replies with a smirk and throws Harry’s dirty clothes into the hamper. “let’s go into the kitchen.”

The breakfast is full of pokes at Niall and the day before. Louis has been around Harry enough to know that he can only take a certain amount of banter before he takes it too serious, so he’s learnt to lay off him and focus on his son instead.

Eleanor is running around the kitchen filling coffee on her to-go mug, correcting the straps of her heels and alternating between hushing her husband and placing kisses all over Niall’s face. “Okay, I’m only gunna be gone for three days maybe. Please try and make some food instead of just going out and ordering in, yeah? I love both of you very much, but please try and act like the father and son you are instead of two best friends okay?” she leans down and gives Louis a kiss, cups his cheek and lets him pull her into his lap for a more passionate kiss.

“Are you really snogging each other in the presence of your child and his innocent eyes?” Niall quips in slightly disgusted.

Louis breaks off the kiss to snort a, _“don’t think you can call what you did when you came home innocent.”_ Niall lets out an obtuse laugh and stands up to pull a blushing Eleanor away from his father. “Hey mind those hands lad, she’s a married woman.”

“I know dad, like Pa would let you have me if you didn’t get hitched first,” he snorts and hugs his mother.

“Play nice you two, or I will not bring any gifts home with me.” Eleanor scolds and turns to Harry, “Have you packed your things? I’m gunna pull the car out so you can just come down and join me when you’re ready.”

“Bye mum!” “Talk to you later Ellie, I love you!”

 

“Thank you for driving me home Eleanor,” Harry smiles when he slide into her car and puts his seatbelt on. “Niall could have done it, he has his license now so it wouldn’t have been a problem for me to come home if you didn’t have the time.”

Eleanor hums. She pulls out of the driveway and goes to turn down the radio. “You know you’re never a problem Harry. We’ve tried to tell you this on numerous occasion.” She chuckles lightly. “That’s not really what I wanted to talk with you about though, I _did_ have an ulterior motive for the drive.”

“Oh?”

“I’m sorry if you feel like I’m overstepping here, but I just need to be certain that you two are safe.” She says firmly and glances at the boy out of the corner of her eye.

“Safe? We never go out without the oth... _oh,_ that kind of safe.” Harry realises quickly. “Eleanor, I- we don’t need to talk about this _please_. I’ve already had the talk with Liam and, Niall told me he had it with Louis so it’s fine, yeah?”

“And as much as I love and trust my husband and your father, they _are_ both men and I just want to be sure both you and my child is doing sex properly.” She tells him slowly. “I’ve already had this talk with Niall recently, but you probably know him better than me so you also know that he probably already have forgotten it.

“Since the two of you are both boys you of course don’t have to worry about pregnancies, but that doesn’t mean that you can just lay off condoms. I know rumours have it that it feels better without a condom, but since you _are_ gay infections such as HIV are a lot easier to get. All I want is that if you guys are having sex without using protection; please go to the doctor to get checked. I know you’re not the types to sleep around, but there were a time where it wasn’t just you and Niall – and you probably know a lot more about it than I – but if he had sex with a girl in that time it is plausible that he caught some kind of disease that he can transmit to you.

“You’re like a son to me Harry, I hope you know that. I would hate myself if anyone of you got sick because Liam or Louis hadn’t mentioned it. And I’m sorry to put this responsibility on you when it should be Niall’s.” Eleanor finishes as they arrive at the Payne household. She turns off the car, but keeps her eyes on the wheel.

“He didn’t.” Harry tells her softly, his hand already on the door handle. “He didn’t have sex with that girl. We could do it if we wanted to, have sex without a condom, but like Niall’s always _“better safe than sorry right?”_ I don’t think you have to worry El, your son is very responsible even if he doesn’t seem like it.”

+++

“If you turn right down there, we should be there.” Harry says from the passenger seat. His phone is in his hand and his eyes glued to the gps app that’s guiding them from Calum’s house to the beach.

“It’s cool, you can turn it off. I know where we are now.” Niall grins and drives the car down the gravel road to the beach. “Have you never been here before? Dad and I always used to come here in the summer to kick the ball around while mum got a bit of a tan. I’m sure you’ve been here before with me even.”

Harry frowns. He does remember the time they rode their bikes in the middle of the pouring rain to go to the beach because Niall wanted a swim and Louis said they couldn’t use the pool when it hadn’t been cleaned for a month. He remembers how they had been the only ones in the water – the only ones on the entire beach – and how Niall had been like a fish, swimming laps in the ice cold water until he had climbed back onto the sand to lie on Harry’s chest.

“Have you ever wanted to have sex on the beach? Because the settings are quite perfect right now,” Niall had joked, his hands teasing the ever-wet edge of Harry’s swim shorts.

“Have you completely lost your mind babe?” Harry had laughed, “I’m not having sex with you on the beach in pouring rain. We haven’t even done it without having to stop because our parents are close, and now you want to do it on a beach where we’ll get sand every nasty place you can imagine?” Niall had sat up, straddled the brunette’s thighs and looked into Harry’s eyes.

“You can be on top if you like,” he had winked with the naughtiest smirk Harry had ever seen. “Or you know, we can totally do it in the water.”

 

“Yeah, I remember that. You’re not gunna try and shag me on the beach again right?” Harry jokes as Niall parks the car at the end of the car park. “Is that a van pulling up beside us? That’s not... why are they here though? It’s Friday night and they’re kinda _old_ right? They shouldn’t be here.” He looks suspiciously at the driver and the passenger who are looking right at them – both of them looking older than lads who are just here to hang out on the beach.

“Relax babe, they’re not gunna do us anything.” Niall says and turns the car off.

“They just _know_ what we are going to do! What else are new students gunna do on a beach if they’re not skinny dipping?!”

“So take your hat off until we get to the beach, they won’t do anything Haz. Relax please.” Niall prompts and steps out of the car with the gym bag slung over his shoulder. “Come on babe.”

Harry gives the van another look before pulling the hat of his head, “Do you think I should fake a phone call? Like say my big, bad boyfriend is on his way?” Niall gives him a look of boredom. “If they’re coming after us, I’m running home, you know that right? I’ll say hi to your parents but I’m not stopping until I’m inside.”

“You just do that Haz.” Niall says with a roll of his eyes. He bends down and pulls off his shoes before stepping onto the sand. “Let’s get into the water babe.” He takes the hand of the shaking brunette and leads him to where the sand turns into water. “Do you wanna do it here or would you prefer if we go further down?” he looks at the group of boys their age sitting a couple of metres down the beach – not yet having spotted them.

“Can we go a bit further down? Like to the bathing jetty? I’m sure Eleanor would appreciate it if there are no pictures of her naked son on the front page of the paper tomorrow.” Harry chuckles and pulls them to the jetty. “How far under are we gunna go? Like face down or just upperbody?”

“Yeah everything but the hat really.” Niall nods and puts the bag down. They strip down to their briefs, Niall neatly folds it together in their respectively piles and puts them on the dry part of the jetty. Harry puts his hat back on and puts his arm around Niall for a selfie. “This is gunna be great!” he says as he snaps a few pictures – none of them turn out quite right but the flash is bugging Harry's eyes so he stops after a few complains. With a few suspicious looks at the group of lads, the two of them shed their boxers and run into the lukewarm water. "We have to go further out!" Niall laughs when Harry stays where the water only reaches his navel.

"It's quite nice actually," Harry hums when he joins Niall in the deep end, water covering him up until his shoulders. "We should come back here when we aren't naked and make a day out of it," he takes Niall's hand and pulls him into his side. "Thank you for during this with me,"

"What?"

"Yeah, you could have done this with everyone - or at least someone who is a little more into this than I. I just, I just love you so much and you're so good to me, not just the best boyfriend but you're my best friend - I've done everything with you, every major thing in my life has been done with you by my side and I'm just so grateful for that." Harry mumbles off in a rush, his hands tightening around Niall's until they’re standing face to face.

"I love you too babe, you know that," Niall whispers softly and pulls Harry in for a kiss, "thank you for putting up with me during these two weeks and I promise to explain everything to you when we get back home."

Niall nips softly at his lips until Harry lets Niall slip in his tongue. His tongue moves in odd patterns that have Harry moaning in pleasure, his hands finding Niall's shoulders until they're pulled flushed against each other. Niall's hand moves to Harry's bum giving it a soft pat until the younger boy wraps his legs around his waist.

"Are you ready to get another lightening bolt in that cap of yours?" Niall giggles breathlessly. He runs his palm down Harry's chest, smirking when be arches into the touch.

"Out here? I thought we said no sex on the beach," Harry gasps. He curls his hand around Niall's neck to drag him back to his lips - his signals already a bit mixed - when Niall's other hand finds his hips as he rocks his own up in search of some friction.

"It's our graduations week after all, if we don't do it now when will we do it then?"

"You just want another bolt to your collection," Harry snorts - trying to ignore the feeling of Niall's hands on his bum, how his middle finger keeps dipping down and circling before going back up.

"Can you really blame me for collecting memories with the boy I love?" Niall whispers softly as he finally pulls Harry's cheeks apart.

And maybe Harry understood that it wasn't about some stupid graduation tradition, but more about who he does it with, what they did together and what they could look back at when they're old and grey.

**Author's Note:**

> pardon the smut please :-) 
> 
> A few hints have been dropped about what is going to happen in earlier parts of this series, but if there are other things you want Harry and Niall to go through, please leave a comment. 
> 
> The rules/traditions:   
> Your closest friends bite in the cap's shade   
> Friends write in the lining of the hat  
> Your lover's name is written next to the last given grade  
> Everyone who got 12 in the last exam has to run after the ride to the first stop  
> The badge/cross is turned upside down if you kiss someone of the same sex  
> The badge/cross is removed if you have sex with someone of the same sex   
> Lightening bolt in the sweatband: sex with someone while you wear the cap   
> Heart in the sweatband: sex with your partner while you wear the cap   
> Wave in the sweatband: Skinny dipping wearing the hat   
> Triangle in the sweatband: seeing the sunrise/being awake 24 hours wearing the hat   
> Square in the sweatband: drinking a case of beer in 24 hours


End file.
